Disease models can be used to understand the mass adoption and subsequent flight from online social networks, researchers at Princeton’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering say in a study released Jan. 17. The study has not been peer-reviewed. Updating traditional models on disease spread to assume that “recovery” requires contact with a nondiseased member — i.e., a nonuser of Facebook (“recovered” member of the population) — researchers predicted that Facebook would see a rapid decline, causing the site to lose 80% of its peak user base between 2015 and 2017.

So gaze into your crystal ball for Today’s Question: What will the next big social network look like?

Related Questions

10’s of millions of unemployed people with craned neck syndrome, hunched over smart phones in public libraries, coffee shops and shopping malls – talking to each other verbally, because they cannot afford a data plan on their meager “you aint worth it” corporate wages.

Jeff

Good point, I see more and more young people/kids changing their lives by not being social in real life. You have to ask yourself why around half of 16 year old kids aren’t getting driver’s licenses (previous generations had well over 3/4 of kids getting their licenses)…they’re just not as mature and are disconnected with the real world.

AndyBriebart

Sure there will be something new. I

Right now, we have MNSure failing, security breaches at private companies like Target and Nieman Marcus, we have the Healthcare.gov site with security breaches the “Unbiased” media is failing to report on, the Edward Snowden thing, the IRS and NSA being used by our current government to go after it’s political enemies.

Why not a more relevant technology topic for today’s world?

Scott44

It would be really cool if people met at the local coffee shop and talked face to face.

James

Lemme think about this. Zuckerberg made $50 billion with Facebook….and I have an idea that’s better than his that I am going to reveal on MPR for the whole world to see.
I wish!

Jeff

Perhaps the next big social network could be a political social network where people could advocate, vote or rally around certain political perspectives. That way individuals could have more control over all levels of government and stay involved without having to go to every city hall meeting or be good friends with a state Senator in order to have a direct influence over government.

JasonLewis

What a coincidence; I happen to know of a guy who is putting together just such a network.

Scott44

Really sort of funny…I met my girlfriend….wait for it….wait….at the libary! We were in the same section picking out books!! Yep that is social networking.